Article handling apparatus



y 1965 D. K. SCHMIDT 3,181,710

ARTICLE HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 25, 1962 4 SheetsSheet l INVENTOR DIETER K. SCHMIDT ATTORNEY May 4, 1965 D. K. SCHMIDT 3,181,710

ARTICLE HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 25, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 F'IG 2 QM U L9H 2sil INVENTOR DIETER K. SCHMIDT ATTORNEY y 5 D. K. SCHMIDT 3,181,710

ARTICLE HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 23, 1962 I 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 F'IE El 87 48 as 86 2 86 a4 84 INVENTOR DIETER K. SCHMIDT ATTORNEY May 4, 1965 D. K. SCHMIDT ARTICLE HANDLING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Feb. 25, 1962 INVENTOR DIETER K. SCHMIDT BY W ATTORNEY United States Patent "ice ifiifii 3,181,710 ARTICLE HANDLING APPARATUS Dieter K. Schmidt, San Jose, Calif., assignor to FM Corporation, San Jose, Calif., a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 23, 1962, Ser. No. 174,970 13 Claims. (Cl. 214-11) The present invention pertains to an article handling apparatus and more particularly to an apparatus for inverting pieces of mail, such as letters, without damage thereto.

Automatic mail handling equipment has become necessary for the expeditious handling and processing of mail in metropolitan areas due to the large and ever increasing volume of mail and since manual methods of conveying, cancelling, sorting and stacking are uneconomical. Thus, the need has arisen for automation of these post oflice operations. The present invention is concerned with such automatic equipment for handling letters or other articles having characteristics similar to letters. It should be understood when reference is made to a letter that it is intended to mean an envelope plus the contents of the envelope.

In a normal post ofiice installation, a letter is discharged from an automatic stamp cancelling machine so that it stands on a longitudinal edge in an inverted position with its address upside down and its stamp adjacent the bottom edge. The present mail orientation apparatus inverts each letter discharged from a cancelling machine so that its stamp is near the upper longitudinal edge and its address is right side up. After the letters are turned right side up, they are eventually stacked in a tray so that all addresses face the same direction and are readable from one end of the tray.

Letter inverting devices known in the art have utilized a pair of angularly disposed discs for gripping and rotating letters, but certain features of the known letter inverting devices have created problems when handling mail. For example, when the axis of rotation of the discs is positioned over the conveyor on which letters are fed to the discs, a problem arises in gripping and rotating the letters upwardly by the lower portions of the discs without damage to the letters. This is because the gripping contact area of the discs must be spaced from the axis of rotation by a distance equal to the length of the longest letter to prevent bending the trailing lower corner of the envelope. In addition, the gripping area must extend downwardly a suflicient distance to grip the narrowest letter or the letter will pass between the discs. When rotating letters rapidly, there is a tendency for loose objects, such as coins, to break through the envelopes due to centrifugal force. Furthermore, when a thin letter follows immediately behind a thick letter, the discs are spread due to the thick letter being in the gripping area so that the succeeding thin letter passes ungripped between the discs.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for automatically inverting letters at a rapid speed.

Another object is to provide an apparatus which will invert letters rapidly without damage to the envelopes.

A further object is to provide a letter inverting apparatus which will positively grip letters of various thicknesses and sizes at variable incoming letter speed and spacing.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, reference being made to the annexed drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective of a letter inverting apparatus embodying the present invention and showing discs urged together by rollers.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a transverse section taken on line 33 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 4-4 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a transverse section of a modified form of the invention showing each disc mounted on separate angularly disposed shafts.

FIG. 6 is a side elevation as seen from a position indicated by line 66 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a side elevation of a modified form of the disc.

FIGS. 8-13 are a series of diagrammatic views illustrating the manner in which letters are inverted.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the article handling apparatus of the present invention is generally identified by the numeral 10 in FIG. 1 and includes a letter inverting mechanism 12 positioned between a feed conveyor 14 and a discharge conveyor 16, all of which are mounted on a support frame 18. Thin pieces of mail, such as letters 19, are conveyed standing on a longitudinal edge, along a path of travel in the direction of arrow 20, through the apparatus 10.

The letter inverting mechanism 12 is adapted to transfer letters from an inverted position on the feed conveyor 14- to an upright position on the discharge conveyor 16. A pair of bearing blocks 22 are mounted on the support frame 18 at opposite sides of the path of travel of the letters 19. A drive shaft 24 is journalled in the bearing blocks 22 and extends transversely across the letter path at an elevation below the discharge level of the feed conveyor 14. A driven wheel 26 is keyed to one end of drive shaft 24 which projects outside of bearing block 22. An endless drive belt 28 is trained around the driven wheel 26 and a drive wheel, not shown, which is driven by an electric motor, not shown.

Mounted between the bearing blocks 22 on the support frame 18 are a pair of flange plates 30. A pair of flexible discs 32, shown more clearly in FIGS. 2 and 3, are mounted in spaced, parallel relation on the drive shaft 24 and are positioned on opposite sides and adjacent to the path of travel of the letters 19. The discs may be made of rubber, a suitable plastic, or a plasticized cloth, but the invention is not limited to these specific materials. The peripheral portions of the flexible discs 32 extend upwardly above the discharge level of the feed conveyor 14 and downwardly towards the discharge conveyor 16. Upon rotation of the shaft 24, in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 2, these peripheral portions travel successively past the feed conveyor 14, a receiving quadrant 33a, an initial gripping point 332), a gripping quadrant 330, a release point 33d, a release quadrant 33c above the discharge conveyor, and a spreading quadrant 33 and return to the receiving quadrant 33a.

Upper, intermediate, and lower pairs of tapered rollers 34 resiliently urge the flexible discs 32 together respec tively at the initial grripping point 33b, medially of the gripping quadrant 33c, and at the release point 33d. Roller arms 36 and 37 have inner ends which individually rotatably support the tapered rollers 34. Each roller arm 36 has a rnidportion which is pivotally mounted on a pivot pin 38 projecting upwardly from flange plate 30. On one side of the letter path, each roller arm 36 has an outer end connected to the flange plate 39 by a spring 39, which resiliently urges its roller 34 against its associated disc 32. The rollers 34 on the opposite side of the path are held by their arms 37 in contact with their disc 32 and do not appreciably move transversely of said path. The rollers 34 are tapered inwardly towards the 3 V shaft 24 so as to compensate for the angular disposition of the discs due to bending into an article gripping relationship.

A letter release roller 42, as shown-in FIG. 3, isr-otatably mounted on a mounting arm 43 which extends outwardly from the flange plate 39 on one side of the path of letter travel. The letter release roller 42 is positioned slightly below the lower pair of tapered rollers 34' and between the flexible discs 32 for the purpose of spreading the discs 32 so as to permit a letter to drop freely to the discharge conveyor 16. a

A pair of spread rollers 40, asshown in FIG. 4, are positioned between the flexible discs 32 in the spreading quadrant 33 at the lower portion of the discs 32 adjacent the feed conveyor 14. The spreading action of the rollers 40 maintains the discs 32. in spaced relationship in the receiving quadrant 33a which is above the spreading quadrant 33f. The-rollers 40 are mounted on support arms 41 which extend inwardly from the flange plates 30.

The .forward upper portions of the flexible discs 32,

adjacent the feed conveyor 14, are in the receiving quad- V rant 33a and are spaced to receive letters from the feed conveyor. The upper rear portions of the discs 32 are in the gripping quadrant 33c, and the rollers 34 force these portions together to grippinglyengage letters 19 in this quadrant. The letters 19 move, upon rotation of 'the flexible discs 32,'in a direction upwardly and away. from the feed conveyor 14- and revolve through an arc of substantially 180 degrees whereupon theyare releasedat the release point 330! and fall to the discharge conveyor 16 from the lower rear portions of the discs 32 in the release quadrant 33c.-

The centrifugal force developed by the letter inverting mechanism 12 when rapidly transferring letters is so great that small, heavy, and loose objects, such as coins, within the letters 19 tend to-break through the envelopes.

To prevent such break-throughs and yet enable letters to be handledat the same high. rateof speed, anenvelope protection device 44, as shown in FIG. 3, is positioned above the flexible discs 32, and contacts the envelopeof each letter 19 transferred by the discs.

The envelope protection device 44 includes support 7 plates 46 and 47 mounted on opposite sides of theletter path of travel. The support plate 46 is'planar'whereas the plate 47 has semicircular corrugations 50; The support plates 46 and 47 are held in position by braces interconnecting thesupportplatesand the bearing blocks 22. semicircular brushes 48 project inwardly from the side surface of the plate 46and fit between respective corrugations 50 on the side surface ofthe plate 47. When a letter is revolved by the flexible discs 32, it passes between the semicircular brushes 48 and corrugations 50 and is bent longitudinally in a series of wave-like con- Accordingly, movement of a loose object figurations. contained in the letter is impeded and substantially prevented by the bends resulting from the brushes and corrugations. .The arcuate movement of the letter is not retarded to any. great extent; however, by friction at en'- gagernent of the brushes and corrugations. Furthermore,

the letter remains finnly'gripped'by. the: flexible discs .32

during the transferring movement. It is also to be noted tection device 44,'the brushes 48 flex to permit the paS-' I roller 54 ,is; mounted on a shaft 58] having a conveyor driven wheel 60 mounted'at'the'outer end. A conveyor I drive belt 62 is trained about the driven. wheel60 and ,is

standing position with a longitudinal edge of the belt 52.

The letters are conveyed in this attitude along said path in the direction of arrow 20 and eventually between the upper forward portions of the flexible discs 32.

The discharge conveyor 16 is' a vacuum belt type of conveyor and includes a perforated'endless belt 68 which travels around a vacuum belt manifold 70 having a flat .face 72 on which the belt 68 readily slides, as shown in 'FIG. 1.

The face 72 of the manifold 70 has a plurality of perforations 74, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. The perforations in the belt 68 register with the perforations 74 in the face of themanifold, as the belt moves. Air is'continuously withdrawn from the manifold 70 by a tube 76 so that a partial vacuum within the manifold 70, operating through the perforations 74 and those in the belt 68, draws a single letter 19 against the belt 68, such letter being transferred to the belt by the discs 32. In this manner letters from the discs are carried away by the discharge conveyor.

, In operation, letters19 are discharged in single file from an automatic stamp cancelling machine, not shown,

onto the feed conveyor 14. The letters stand on alongitudinal edge in an inverted position, as indicated in FIG. 8, withthe address upside down and the stamp adjacent the bottom edge. The letters are conveyed in this attitude by the feed conveyor 14 along the described path of travel, in the direction of the arrow 20, to the letter inverting mechanism 12.

Each letter19 is individually fed into the receiving quadrant 33a betweenvthe forward upper portions of the flexible discs 32 and is firmly gripped by the discs 32 as it reaches the gripping point 33b where the rollers 34 force the discs into letter gripping engagement.

When the letter reaches the releasing quadrant 33e, as

, During transfer. of "the letter, that portion of the letter extending outwardly from the flexible discs 32 is undulated as'it passes between the interfitted brushes and corrugations whereby movement of loose objects within the envelope is mini- 'mized. This prevents'such objects from being thrown is carried away to' a station, ;not shown, where letters are stacked in a tray so that all addresses face the same direction and are thus readable fromone end. of the tray. I V s a .A modified form of the invention is illustrated in FIGS.

.5 and 6. Instead of having both flexible discs, as 32,

mounted on ,the same drive shaft, as 24, and having tapered rollers 34 to force the discsinto gripping engagement, as in FIGS..1 to 4, eachdisc in FIGQSis resiliently r the discs 82 are spread apart in thelower forward spreading quadrant but contactin g'r'ippingengagement in the upper rear gripping quadrant, these quadrants corresponding in'locations; to' quadrants of thesame names in FlGSIlto 3 velocity and in V the direction indicated by the respective motivated by'thesame power source, notsl'iown, as that. V

' whichfrotates the discs 32 of the letter ihvertihgmecha- I V nism 12. Side walls 64 and66jare positionedab'ovethef feed conveyor 14 and support each letter 19 'inan up- The drive shafts84 are driven at uniform arrows, $6.

is also shown ,in FIG; 5, ;The"embodiment"din FIG. 5 does) employ; the support plate 46 and semicircular brushes 48. projecting. inwardly from [theplateyas, .in FIG. 3.;;.However, instead of the corrugated plate 47,

The 'letter is then moved by the discs 32,"as diagrammatically shown byFIGS. 8-13, through an arc of 180. degrees.

form 1: of an envelope protectiondevice 5 S5 5 the form in FIGURE 5 uses arcuate rods 87 held in place by spacers 89 extending from a plane support plate 91. The brushes 48 project between adjacent arcuate rods 87 and are thus interfitted so as to undulate a letter 19 as it passes therebetween.

Although the discs 82 may be similar in form and material to a disc usable with the form of FIGS. 1 to 4, FIG. 7 illustrates a preferred form for use with the embodiment of FIGS. 5 and 6. The reason why the discs of FIG. 7 are preferred is that the thickness of the letters 19 handled may vary considerably. If a thick letter is immediately followed by a thin letter, a pair of solid discs might be held in slightly spaced relation by the thick letter and fail to firmly grip the succeeding thin letter as it is fed between the discs. To provide a positive grip in such a situation, slotted circular flexible discs 82, as shown in FIG. 7, are used. These discs 82 have a plurality of radial slots 88 extending inwardly from the periphery. The slots 88 divide the discs into a series of separate fingers 90, and the discs are secured to their respective shafts 84 so that each finger on one disc is in precise confronting relation to a finger n the other disc. The flexible discs 82 are made of spring steel and have rubber gripping pads 92 vulcanized to the inner or confronting surfaces of the fingers 90. Thus the fingers are capable of independent resiliently flexing movement away from each other and the pads provide contact surfaces with a high coeflicient of friction for gripping letters.

The operation of mail orientation apparatus, embodying the modifications illustrated in FIGS. -7, is similar to that described previously with reference to FIGS. 813. Letters are conveyed in an inverted position on the feed conveyor 14 and are fed between the forward upper portions of the flexible discs 32. The angularity of the drive shafts 84 causes the flexible discs 82 to contact in gripping engagement in the upper rear gripping quadrant. When each letter reaches the grip ping quadrant, it is firmly gripped by the discs 82 and moved through an arc of 180 degrees as illustrated diagrammatically by FIGS. 8-13. The angularity of the drive shafts 84 also causes the flexible discs to spread apart in the releasing quadrant, thus permitting the letter to fall to the discharge conveyor 16 in an upright position as shown in FIG. 13.

As stated, confronting pairs of fingers 90. are free to flex independently of adjacent pairs of fingers. Therefore, when a thick letter is held between pairs of fingers located in the gripping quadrant 33c but past the initial gripping point 33b the fingers at the gripping point are in engagement so as to grip a thin letter being fed through the receiving quadrant 33a to the initial gripping point. Thus an advancing thick letter does not hold succeeding fingers of the discs 82 in a spread condition and all letters are properly gripped and transferred.

The envelope protection device 85 operates during movement of a letter therethrough in a manner similar to that described for the envelope protection device 44.

The article handling apparatus disclosed overcomes the previously mentioned problems of the prior art. In the modifications illustrated in FIGS. 1-4, the drive shaft 24 is positioned below andspaced ahead of the feed conveyor 14, and letters are initially gripped by the upper portions of the discs 32. Therefore, the trailing lower corner of a letter is raised initially off from the feed conveyor and is not subject to bending. Since the shaft 24 is below the level of the feed conveyor, letters passing between the discs will not contact the shaft. The shaft is also positioned ahead of the feed conveyor, and, therefore, when the leading lower corner The modification illustrated in FIGS. 5-6 has the pair of drive shafts 84 positioned ahead and slightly above the feed conveyor 14. Here again, letters are intially gripped by the upper portions of the discs 82 and raised from the feed conveyor without damage to the lower trailing edge. Since the shafts 84 do not extend across the path of letter travel, they do not block the passage of letters. The fact that the shafts are positioned ahead of the feed conveyor permits the leading lower corner of a letter to move downwardly without contacting the feed conveyor. While the axes of the shafts may be positioned slightly above, as shown, or below the feed conveyor, the gripping or contact area of the discs must be vertically spaced close enough to the feed conveyor level to grip the narrowest letter.

In both of the modifications, letters are lifted upwardly off the feed conveyor and pivot about a point located ahead of the feed conveyor. This prevents damage to the corners of the letter as it is being pivoted. The letter continues to move through the described are where it is released to fall in an inverted position to the discharge conveyor 16 positioned below the feed conveyor. In this manner the letters are inverted to an upright position so that the address is readable for further processing.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the article handling apparatus disclosed provides an improved piece of mail handling equipment which rapidly inverts letters without damage to the corners and without danger of heavy loose articles within the envelopes breaking through due to centrifugal force, and which handles letters of various widths and thicknesses and at variable incoming letter speed and spacing.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be understood that the mail orientation apparatus is capable of further modification and variation without departing from the principles of the invention and that the scope of the invention should be limited only by the scope and proper interpretation of the claims appended hereto.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. Mail orientation apparatus comprising a feed conveyor, a discharge conveyor positioned at an elevation below said feed conveyor, and a letter inverting device including a pair of flexible discs mounted for rotation on a common shaft positioned below said feed conveyor and having upper peripheral portions which extend above said feed conveyor and move in a direction away from said feed conveyor towards said discharge conveyor, a pair of spread rollers positioned between lower peripheral portions of said flexible discs at a point between said feed conveyor and said discharge conveyor to maintain the upper portions of said flexible discs adjacent said feed conveyor in spaced relationship to receive a letter therebetween, and a plurality of rollers resiliently urged against the upper portions of said flexible discs and spaced from said feed conveyor, said rollers forcing said flexible discs to move in close contact whereby a letter is grippingly engaged between said flexible discs and swung upwardly from an inverted position on said feed conveyor through an arc of 180 to an upright position whereupon it is released to fall to said discharge conveyor.

2. In a mechanism for handling an article such as a letter or the like, a support, a pair of discs each having a plurality of resiliently flexible, radially extending fingers with adjacent fingers being separated by radial slots, means rotatably mounting said discs in confronting relation to each other with each finger on each disc being opposite to a finger on the other disc, opposed pairs of fingers being in engagement with each other in a pair of confronting quadrants of said discs and being spaced from each other throughout the remaining quadrants, means for imparting rotary movement to said discs, and means for feeding such an article between opposed pairs of the spaced fingers and thence between opposed pairs of engaged fingers for enabling said engaged fingers to grip said article and to swing it in an arc during rotational movement of said discs.

3. In a mechanism for inverting an envelope, or like article, an upper conveyor having a discharge end portion and including means for conveying an envelope towards said discharge end portion so that said envelope is in an upstanding plane extending longitudinally of said conveyor; a lower conveyor below said upper conveyor having a receiving end portion spaced endwardly from said discharge end portion, said plane passing through said lower conveyor; means mounted between said conveyors for gripping an envelope when said envelope is at said discharge end portionand for swinging said en spaced above said shaft and being adaptedto support a let- -ter. coplanar -'with a plane passing between said discs, said velope upwardly from said'upper conveyor and thence object free to move in the envelope, means formoving 1 said gripping means and the gripped envelope in an arcuate path whereby centrifugal force is imposed on said object tending to thrust said object outwardfrom said path,and means for flexing the envelope during movement along said path to impede movement of said object relative to and through said envelope.- I

5. In a letter inverting device for swinging letters along a path of travel about an axis transverse'ly of said path with the letters disposed in a plane extending longitudinally of said 'pathya pair of support plates, spacedf-rom each other on opposite sides of said path, one of said plates being corrugated and providing a plurality of arcuate projections concentric with said axis and extending along side of said path, and a plurality of arcuate brushes extending from the other plate concentrically of said axis with said brushes andprojections being in feeding conveyor including means for moving a letter between said discs for engagement therebetween, and means "for imparting rotary movement tosaid shaft for swinging an engaged letter in an-ar-c about said shaft and upwardly from said If-eeding conveyor. 7

9. A mechanism for handling a letter or a like article comprising a support, a pair of flexible discs, means for rotatably mounting said discs on said support in generally upright positions and in confronting relation to each other, means to engage with a portion of the circumferential margin of said discs for effecting engagement and separation of a predetermined portionof the circumferential margins of said discs, means for feeding an article toward said discs with the article in a plane. passing between said discs so that the article passes between the separated margins to the engaged margins whereupon gripping of the article is effected, and means for imparting rotary movement to said discs for swinging'the gripped article upwardly from said path and through'an arc' lying substantially in. said plane. 7

10. A mail orienting apparatus comprising longitudinal aligned and spaced conveyors, said conveyors disposed in vertically spaced relation, a pair of flexible rotatable discs being cooperable to (transfer mail from the upper to the lower conveyor, a shaft having the .axis thereof located longitudinally and vertically between said conveyors for supporting said discs in confronting relation, and means located in engagement with said dis-cs for constrainin-g a portion of the circumferential'edges thereof to describe a predetermined substantially undulating path which includes a gripping sector, and a releasesector to thereby transfer mail from the upper to the lower conveyor.

interfitted relation with each other whereby envelopes V 6. In a letter inverting device for swinging letters, 7 along a path of travel about an axis transversely of said path with the letters being in a plane extending longitudinally of said path; a pair of support plates spaced from each other on opposite sides of said path, a plurality of arcua-te rods mounted on one of said plates in concentric relation 'with said axis and extending along side of said path, an'd'a'plurality of arcuate brushesmountedon the other plate concentrically of said axis and extending toward said rods so that said brushes and rods are'in interfitted rela-' tion to each other whereby envelopes and other flexible port-ions of said letters moving along said p ath are deformed to rest-rain movement of'the loose objects within said envelopes. V T t V t 7. A mechanism for handling a letter or a like article comprising a support, a shaft mounted in said support, a pair of flexible discs mounted in spaced relation on said shaft, means cooperable with the adjacent circumferential margins of said discs for constraining such margins'to deflne a predetermined path, such a -path having -a portion thereof wherein respective circumferential portions of said discs are broughtinto -abutting engagement in order'to grip aporti-on of such article, and means forirnparting rotary movement to said shaft'for swinging the gripped article-in an arc of said sha'fit. a r r 8. A mechanism for handling a letter: or'like a rticle comprising a support,Qafsubstantially horizontal shaft mounted on said support, -a' pair of flexible discs mount'ed on 'said shaft, rollers'on said support defining a passage-f 1 i way urging respective circumferentialportions of -said discs in engagement with each otherya' feeding conveyor 11. A mail orientation apparatus comprising a rotary letter inverting mechanism --for moving letters along a path of travel, andmeans for longitudinally deforming said letters along a plurality of radially spaced substantial-1y longitudinally extending arcuate zones while theletters are being moved and inverted, to restrain movementof loose objects within said letters with respect to said letter;

12. In arnechanism for inverting a letter orthe like, a

feeding conveyor, a dis-charging conveyor below said feeding convey-or, a pair of oppo-sed transfer members mounted between said conveyors and being movable in an arcuate path successively past an upper article receiving" station adjacent the discharge end of said feeding conveyor,

through an article gripping station, to a lower article rev leasing station adjacent, therecei-ving end' of said discharging conveyor, firs ttmeans engaged with said transct'erring members for providing an article receiving gap between said transferring members aligned with said feeding conveyor 'atsa-id receiving station, second means engaged with said transferring members at said gripping station for urging a portion of saidtransferring members into yield-- able engagement with each other, whereby an article in said gap is fed by said feed-ing conveyor between said transfer members andto said gripping station and thereby gripped by said members, means for imparting movement to said members along said path whereby a letter gripped by said members is lifted off said feeding conveyo-r and moved into' antinverted position at thereceiving end o'f said discharging conveyor, and'third, means en aged with said transfer members at said'releasing station for providing tan'article'releasing gap aligned with said discharging conveyor iwhereb'yl an article insaid gripping and then onto saiddischarging conveyor. r I 13, In a gne hanism for orien-tingan article having a size andJshape .similarto that of a letter, a feeding con station isfmoved by said members into said releasing gap veyor, adischarging-conveyor cooperable withsaid feeding conveyor tandjhavinga. receiving end portion spaced below and longitudinally of the discharge end of said feeding conveyor, a'pairiofflexible discs rotatably mounted between the adjacent portions of said feeding and discharga 9 10 ing conveyors, means engaging the outer sides of said discs References Cited by the Examiner along a zone between said conveyors ior bringing periph- UNITED STATES PATENTS eral portions of said disos together along said zone, said zone initiating in a gripping point adjacent the discharge 2,593,627 4/52 Stoverend of said tfeeding conveyor, said zone terminating in a 5 3080956 3/63 salzmann 198.434 releasing point adjacent to the receiving end of said dis- FOREIGN PATENTS charging conveyor, and means for imparting rotary move- 530 362 7/31 Germany ment to said discs to effect transfer of such articles upwaddly from said feeding conveyor and thence rearwardly SAMUEL COLEMAN, P y Examlnerand downwardly towards said discharging conveyor. 10 EDWARD A. SROKA, Examiner. 

1. MAIL ORIENTATION APPARATUS COMPRISING A FEED CONVEYOR, A DISCHARGE CONVEYOR POSITIONED AT AN ELEVATION BELOW SAID FEED CONVEYOR, AND A LETTER INVERTING DEVICE INCLUDING A PAIR OF FLEXIBLE DISCS MOUNTED FOR ROTATION ON A COMMON SHAFT POSITIONED BELOW SAID FEED CONVEYOR AND HAVING UPPER PERIPHERAL PORTIONS WHICH EXTEND ABOVE SAID FEED CONVEYOR AND MOVE IN A DIRECTION AWAY FROM SAID FEED CONVEYOR TOWARDS SAID DISCHARGE CONVEYOR, A PAIR OF SPREAD ROLLERS POSITIONED BETWEEN LOWER PERIPHERAL PORTIONS OF SAID FLEXIBLE DISCS AT A POINT BETWEEN SAID FEED CONVEYOR AND SAID DISCHARGE CONVEYOR TO MAINTAIN THE UPPER PORTIONS OF SAID FLEXIBLE DISCS ADJACENT SAID FEED CONVEYOR IN SPACED RELATIONSHIP TO RECEIVE A LETTER THEREBETWEEN, AND A PLURALITY OF ROLLERS RESILIENT URGED AGAINST THE UPPER PORTIONS OF SAID FLEXIBLE DISCS AND SPACED FROM SAID FEED CONVEYOR, SAID ROLLERS FORCING SAID FLEXIBLE DISCS TO MOVE IN CLOSE CONTACT WHEREBY A LETTER IS GRIPPINGLY ENGAGED BETWEEN SAID FLEXIBLE DISCS AND SWUNG UPWARDLY FROM AN INVERTED POSITION ON SAID FEED CONVEYOR THROUGH AN ARC OF 180* TO AN UPRIGHT POSOTION WHEREUPON IT IS RELEASED TO FALL TO SAID DISCHARGE CONVEYOR. 